The increased density and lower cost per Mbyte of storage media, initially with hard disk storage and continuing with flash memory, has resulted in a multitude of portable media devices capable of conveniently storing and enabling retrieval of audio, image, video and multimedia (e.g. game) files. With their small size and portability, portable media devices can be used during a variety of activities, for example while reading, walking, running, biking and driving. While engaged in these activities, the user can be “visually” focused on the activity and simultaneously “aurally” connected with the portable media device. Interacting with the device without using a visual interface can be accomplished with limited functionality on today's devices, such as by depressing a simple on/off button and operating a volume control on a headset connected by a wire or wirelessly to the device. More complex interactions with the device, such as searching for and selecting a particular stored media file can require the user to disengage visually from the current activity to use a displayed graphical user interface on the device. The graphical user interface can include control inputs, e.g. a touch screen, touch pad or a scroll wheel button by which the user can navigate through the stored media libraries on the device. Using the graphical user interface, however, can disrupt the activity in which the user is otherwise visually engaged, and some portable media devices do not include a visual display. Thus there exists a need for an alternative user interface that enables the user to interact with and control the portable media device to navigate through and retrieve from a set of media stored in the device.